Is Steph Curry like Michael Jordan? Comparisons arise as Warriors star nears 3-point record
So far this NBA season, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have been the talk of the town.
After a two-year playoff hiatus, the Warriors currently own the best record in the NBA (21-4) and have the look of a team ready to make another run at a championship.
And it should come as no surprise that Curry has been at the center of the team's success, averaging 27.5 points as he closes in on the NBA's regular-season record for career 3-pointers.
Curry has made 2,964 3-pointers in his 12-plus NBA seasons, just nine behind Ray Allen's all-time record of 2,973. He is on track to break Allen's record potentially as early as Saturday in Philadelphia, or Monday at Indiana.
As the Warriors continue to operate like a well-oiled machine — and Curry tracks closer to basketball immortality — there has been increasing chatter linking Curry to some of the NBA's greatest players.
But what about being compared to the greatest player? That's what Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did while discussing Curry's assault on the record books, likening Curry's dominance to that of one of Kerr's former teammates — Michael Jordan.
"I think Steph in a lot of ways is like Michael Jordan because there are so many moments that stand out that they all kind of bleed together," Kerr said. "Maybe that's the true sign of greatness. It's hard to even fathom where this (3-pointers) record will stand when he retires. He will obliterate it. ... It's sort of mind-numbing."
Of course, anytime you compare someone to Jordan, questions will follow.
Skip Bayless, for one, called the Curry-Jordan comparison blasphemous on "Undisputed."
"He ventured into blasphemy territory here, because it's not fair to Steph Curry. It's just not fair," Bayless said. "We're talking about 6-0 in the Finals with six [Finals] MVP's and Steph will never live up to that."
Skip Bayless: Steve Kerr comparing Curry to Michael Jordan is blasphemous
Ric Bucher shared similar sentiments, questioning Kerr's motive during an appearance on "Speak for Yourself."
"It's counterproductive and quite honestly it's beneath someone like Steve Kerr," said Bucher.
Ric Bucher doesn't care for Steve Kerr's Steph Curry/Michael Jordan comparison
Bayless and Bucher both have plenty of evidence to back up their stance.
Curry has won just three NBA championships to Jordan's six, while also having only two MVP awards, compared to Jordan's five.
But as Emmanuel Acho detailed, Curry's overall impact and influence on basketball goes beyond box scores, awards and accolades.
"What Michael Jordan has done off of the court, the impact that he had, that's the same impact that Curry has had on the court," said Acho. "Steph Curry has been transformative on the court in ways that Michael Jordan never was."
Emmanuel Acho: ‘Curry changed the way basketball is played’
Acho's claim might sound a bit extreme at first given Jordan's enormous impact on the sport. But there are numbers to support the statement.
In the 2013-2014 season, NBA teams attempted an average of only 21.5 3-pointers per game.
After a dominant run by the Warriors from 2014-2016 — a stretch that included two Curry MVPs, 140 regular-season wins, two NBA Finals appearances and a championship — 3-point shooting skyrocketed league-wide.
By the end of the 2016-2017 season, teams were taking 27 3s per game, and the number has grown each year since. So far this season, teams are attempting 35.5 3-pointers per game, 14 more than just eight seasons ago, and seemingly direct evidence of Curry's influence.
Curry impact has also shown up in the play of some of the league's youngest stars, who have entered the NBA and bombed away from distance immediately upon taking the floor.
Young point guards such as LaMelo Ball, Darius Garland and Trae Young all hoisted at least five 3-pointers per game in their rookie seasons, and all three of them are shooting at least 6.9 3-pointers per game this season.
For comparison’s sake, Curry attempted just 4.8 3-pointers per game as a rookie.
Curry might not measure up to Jordan's on-court accomplishments, but his influence and impact on the NBA has been undeniable.
